The document discusses the challenges and opportunities of regional integration in Southern Africa, highlighting issues such as the difficulty of implementing commitments due to various constraints. It emphasizes the need for better harnessing functional integration and improving accountability and enforcement mechanisms, particularly involving the private sector. Additionally, it raises questions about how to formalize decision-making processes and the role of private sector involvement in monitoring and driving implementation.

1. 3. Drawing Lessons for
Policy-Makers
Drivers & Politics of Regional
Integration in Southern Africa

2. • Functional cooperation taking place
• Regional decision-making structures make
implementation hard
• Commitments easily taken and not
necessarily planned to implement
• Also genuine constraints – capacity, finance
• Functional cooperation yes, but need for
development also – not just extraction
• Private sector key driver and beneficiary of
corridors – but “just doing what it does”
Summary

3. • Investment and PS bodies can play roles
• Processes key – pragmatic issues - why not
moving faster?
• Accountability on implementation, interface
on issues also important
• Implementation only if in interest
(incentives? SADC trade protocol and SAPs?
CBI and EU grants?)
• Political change a major issue for stability
Summary

4. 1. How to better harness functional
integration?
• How to formalise bottom-up, not top-down?
• Can effective champions be created, private sector coalitions
built?
• Are corridors a pragmatic solution to RI?
• What does it mean to “accept non-implementation” starting
point?
2. How to improve RI accountability &
enforcement mechanisms?
• How to go beyond private sector as guest? Joint Institutions?
• Do they care?
• Can private sector be a monitor/driver of implementation?
• Role for regional desks in national planning entities or
ambassadors at RECs?
• PS opinion polls/rankings?
3. What can we draw for tripartite or APEI?
Lessons for national, RECs, EU,
other policy makers?

5. Thank you
www.ecdpm.org
www.saiia.org.za
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